Yes, it certainly is!  Brushing too hard (and too often) can absolutely be detrimental to your oral health.  For the sake of this discussion, we will refer to both brushing too much and brushing too hard as over brushing.

Let’s take a look at what happens when you over brush and what you can do to prevent it. By the end of this blog entry, we hope you’ll be able to brush your teeth in a safer, gentler manner and improve your overall oral health in the process.

Are there symptoms?

If you start to notice that your gums are receding, you may be brushing too hard!  Your gums will begin to recede if you continually, day after day, brush them too hard.  Additionally, if you see that some gums on certain teeth are much higher than others, you very well could be brushing too aggressively.  If this is the case, it’s a good idea to see your dentist as soon as possible.

Another way to tell if you’re turning into the Incredible Hulk when you brush is if you notice your teeth becoming sensitive.  It’s possible that you have created this sensitivity by exposing your mouth to such extreme brushing.  Also be on the lookout for bleeding from your gums. This is a very good indicator of over brushing and a clear cut sign you need to lighten up.

What can I do?

Here is the good news:  you can be helped if you are an overbrusher.  There are plenty of resources online to make certain you are brushing your teeth properly. Brushing is an important activity that we do so often, it’s key to remember that you do it correctly.  Gentler strokes, gentler strokes, gentler strokes!  You simply can’t go wrong with gentle, proper brushing.

And we have one last helpful tip for you overbrushers out there.  Consider picking up an electric toothbrush.  It’s a great investment that will have you in greater control of just how hard you brush.  Or, perhaps an alternate view of looking at things, an electric toothbrush can help stop you, within reason, from hard brushing.

Always get professional dental help from experienced, certified and responsible professionals the minute you notice something is wrong with your teeth or gums.  Dentists are able to advise you on the best course of action when you’ve been over brushing.

If you are looking for top dental care, you’ve come to the right place.  The staff at Southport Dental always puts your needs first.  We want to be positive that you leave our office smiling after every visit.  Get in touch with us today to schedule a checkup.